Improvement in rotary plows



UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEZEKIAH JONES AND WILLIAM K. YARD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN R-OTARV PLOW-"5.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,489, dated August25, 1874; application filed May is, 1874.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, HEZEKIAH JONES and WILLIAM K. YARD, of Rockford,in.the county of Winnebago, in the State of Illinois, have made certainImprovements in Rotary Plows,

of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to that kind of plow in which the plows that stirthe ground are placed on a revolving shaft; and it consists in theconstruction of the parts and the means by vhich the same are operatedand adjusted, as will be fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of our plow;Fig. 2, a side, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal sectional, view.

A represents the main rectangular supportin g-frame; A, the tongue,properly secured to the frame A, and by which the plow is made to move.B B are axles, firmly attached to the side pieces of the frame A, and BB are wheels that receive the axles, and upon which they revolve. b is agear-wheel, fast on one of the wheels B, and gears into gear-wheel bthat is fast upon the end of a short shaft, 1), that revolves in properbearings b on the framing A. b is a similar bearing on the opposite sideof the framing, in which is shaft 11 G is a gear-wheel,fast upon, andrevolves with, the shaft 1), and gears into wheel 0, that is fast upon,and revolves with, the plow-shaft G, that goes transversely across thewidth of the frame A, as seen in Fig. 1. D D are bellcrank levers, thatare journaled and turn upon shafts b and b and have spring-catches d,that catch into indents cl in circular guideways D, that are secured tothe frame A, to be concentric with the shafts b and b which hold thelevers D in such position as the catches take into-theindents. D D arethe short arms to the fbell-crank levers. and extend nearly at rightangles from the handle part D,,and so as to be the supports andjournal-boxes of the revolving plow-shaft C. On each of thesupporting-arms D, and where the shaft G passes through them, is aguideblock, 01, thatfreely slides in, and is guided by, the opencircularslots (1 which slots are concentric withthehafts b andb so that,as the handrlevers 1) are turned in one direc tion from a perpendicular,the plow-shaft G will be raised; or, if in the opposite direction,

the plow-shaft will be lowered. E E are the plows, of which any numbermay be employed, firmly attached to the revolving shaft 0, and

set in rows in spiral form around the shaft, in

order that but one plow of the same row will take hold of the ground atthe same instant. F is a transverse girt extending across the frame, towhich are firmly attached knives f f, between which, and close to, theplows E pass in their revolution. At each end of the crossgirt 'F isfirmly attached link F, with a projecting pin, that freely slides ingrooves f of plates f on the inside of the side pieces of frame A, whilethe other ends of the links F go onto the journal end of plow-shaft 0,so that the plow-shaft revolves in the ends of the links.

By this construction the plow-shaft with its plows is raised or loweredby simply swingin g the hand bell-crank levers, and at the same time, byconnecting the cross-girt F with the cutting-edges of its knives downto. the ploww shaft, the knives will be kept in the same relativeposition with the plows, whether the plows cut deep or shallow, and theunder side of the knives being sharp, and in close proximity to theplows, as they revolve all the earth that may be raised by the plowsmust be completely pulverized by contact with the knives, and all weedsor stubble cut into short lengths.

G is a half-circle cover over the plows, to prevent dust arising fromthe operation of pulverizin g the ground from annoying the driver, whosits upon seat H and guides his team. G is a part of the cover, hingedat 9, so that the plows or knives can be easily got to, in order torepair or clean them when necessary.

The plows are put in revolution by the revolving of the traction andcarrying wheels B, through the intermediate train of gear-wheels, andare raised and lowered by the driver, and the gear attached to the p10W-shaftkept in gear with its driving-wheel by the devices as abovedescribed and shown, and whereby the plows can be raised entirely out ofcontact with the ground, when desirable-as, for instance, when turningthe machine aroundor it can be low-' ered to have the plows go deeperinto the ground, as may be necessary, without throwing the wheel thatrevolves the plow-shaft out of gear with its driving-gear.

This implement will most perfectly pulverize 2. The combination of thecross girt or the ground, and leave it in a smootli,even,and knife-bar Fwith knives f,.links F, p10W-shat't light condition to receive the seedfor a crop. G, carrying plows E, and pivoted hand bell- Having thusdescribed our invention, what crank lever D D, constructed as and forthe we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patpurpose described. entisv 1. The combination, in a revolving plow, of HEZEKIAH JONES. the handbell-crank lever D D guide-block d, and circular grooved guide 1), withthe WILLIAM YARD revolving plow-shaft O, carrying the plows E,Witnesses: constructed and operating as and for the pur- J. G. MANLOVE,pose described. A. V. BRONSON.

